Intel cuts Core i7 950 price in half, adds new Core i3

If you recently bought an Intel Core i7 950 processor and shelled out the full ~$600 asking price prepare to regret not paying more attention to this post last month -- or getting the faster i7 960 for the same amount which should have been your choice in the first place. It turns out the chatter was true and now the high-end chip is selling for 48% less at $294. The move essentially renders both the Core i7 920 and 930 obsolete as well, since those chips are selling for roughly the same.

Crap. I just ordered an i7-930 two weeks ago for $269. If I'd know this was going to happen, I'd have waited for the price cut on the 950.

BUT...that's the way it is with computer components. It never fails - the day after you order something you'll find it on sale for cheaper somewhere else.

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Tom, you really should pay more attention to the posts on TS. The price cut for the 950 was announced in the first week of June (see this thread, article and price cut chart linked to in post #17 and #28.

Appreciate the info, divide. But there weren't a whole lot of specifics in those posts. That one article was from June and here it is almost 3 months later before the predicted price cut actually occurred. Really just a lot of guess work in that AMD was going to be coming out with a new processor and Intel will subsequently have to cut prices and the 950 was the most likely candidate.

That happens all the time, particularly with video cards and processors. But when it comes to upgrades - or building a whole new PC from scratch as is my case this time - if you wait for "possible price cutting" or "rumors of a new release," you're never going to get anything done. At some point in time you have to grit your teeth and cut a check. Then shake your head when shortly afterward, some big price cut occurs.

Computer components are like new cars. The day you drive them off the lot they're now worth 1/3 what you just paid for it.

Really? The chart shows a price cut for the Core i7 950 as being 29th August (to $294). You'll also notice that on 17th October there are due to be price cuts on Core i3 550 ($117), E6700 ($75), E5700 ($64) and E3400 ($42).
Intel usually have a pretty good record of advertising their pricing. It just comes down to looking at their monthly releases and interpreting the info.

Yeah, the chart was accurate. But I'm curious as to where that came from. It said it was uploaded on 6/17, but was the August 29th price cut for the 950 on that chart at 6/17 or was it just recently updated?

I know that Intel does a good job of advertising their pricing, but only within a week or two of the actual cut happening from my past experience. There have been rumblings of the 950 price cut for a while now, but nothing as concrete as that chart showed.

But your point is well taken - a little research can go a long way to getting the biggest bang for your buck!

It is honestly amazed me how no one in all the news posts bout this ive read which is at least 4 now, in the comments no one has mentioned the fact that this is the 950 is ONLY 266mhz faster, yet it was nearly twice the price of the marginally slower 920/930 now when this drops everyones like "oooooommmmmmmgggggg its soooo cheap now!!" no one cares when AMD drops its 965 to former 955 prices about a week or so ago... just cause its 200$ cheaper now doesnt mean it was 200$ better then say a 930/920...

TorturedChaos said:
huh. Newegg still has the i7 950 listed as ~$600. Hope they drop it soon trying to talk work into a new sign design computer.

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I just checked and Newegg has it listed at $299.99 now, they've also dropped the 920 from their selection.
I don't see why they'd keep the 930 at $289.99. It's bound to stop selling with only a 0.03% price difference for the upgrade.

I doubt that, if anything the affordable chips should be marginally better than intel's top quad core cpu's. I look forward to bulldozer for better high end competition. Even then comparing 4 cores @2.8ghz(i7) vs amd's 8 core 2.5ghz(bulldozer) will be where the core vs. productivity war will be for people that want them.

Like a lot of others I'm waiting to upgrade. I hope bulldozer can compete in the higher end market.

I been told by guy working in micro center. they are about to get price drop to $200 i7 950 if this is true this is a steal
I already got the p6t mobo for it so hang on for two weeks and see if its true.

I been told by guy working in micro center. they are about to get price drop to $200 i7 950 if this is true this is a steal
I already got the p6t mobo for it so hang on for two weeks and see if its true.

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YES! YES! YES! This is beautiful news! My ASRock X58 Extreme mobo is on it's way via FedEx as well. Now the hard part is waiting...

@5 Days Ago 01:39 AM guest/ no one is wowing over the amd 955 and 965 dropping in price cause no one gives a damn about a processor thats still performning close to or underperforming intels last generation cpu,if intel wanted to be wiseasses they could drop the price of their mainstream core 2 duo e8400,q5500 tomorrow as their prices are close to mainstream 2 years later and outperformed by cheaper products out today,people want more performance then a cheaper cpu these days

It said it was uploaded on 6/17, but was the August 29th price cut for the 950 on that chart at 6/17 or was it just recently updated?

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Yes, the 950 pricing was on the chart originally. To guage how far in advance Intel notify of pricing changes, keep an eye out for the 17 October price cuts the chart shows (and I referenced). You'll find that they become "news" on that day -roughly five months after they were announced.
Intel also give similar long lead-in notification regarding PDN, EOL and introduction (these charts are easier to follow than some of the Intel slides)